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Most of you have probably flown in some type of airplane before. Likely it was a large, high volume passenger plane designed to monotonously transport you from point-A (home) to point-B (Family Holidays).
Perhaps you get to experience a few such trips per year and have grown accustomed to the rigors of preparation associated with commercial flight. Some of you may have even come to dread the security lines and the cramped ride to your destination, invariably trapped next to a toddler in the midst of the “terrible twos.”
Now-a-days, there exists an aura of hassle when it comes to what most people consider flying and from my point of view, that’s a tragedy.
I always tell people that a skydive is actually two rides in one. Of course there’s the obvious 120 mph skydive portion. But there is also another, very different experience that occurs when you commit to the process of jumping from an airplane.
The airplane ride. No hassles, no waiting, just pure flying for the fun of it. Though not piloting the aircraft myself, I feel at times that I’m part of the airplane, the gentle turns and the gradual ascent are things to be savored.
In the context of a skydive, the plane ride imparts a calming pre-jump mood to the experience. The skies over Pittstown are clear and the rolling hills beneath us capture my mind for the duration of most flights. To say it’s an amazing experience would be to tarnish it. Somehow, it’s more than that.
From the takeoff roll to the opening of the door for exit, the plane ride is a memorable part of each and every skydive I make. Here I am 8,000 jumps later and I still take in every moment of the ride to exit altitude as if it were my first.
This is the perception of flying that everyone should have. Amazing Awesomeness. Yes, Amazing Awesomeness
And this is to say nothing of the moment that the door opens as you prepare to exit the plane. Just imagine for a moment what it would feel like to be poised at the threshold of your first skydiving experience. It’s like a moment between two worlds. You’re sitting in the airplane and looking out into an unobstructed sky while the wind rushes in around you, knowing that in moments you’ll be falling forward into a weightless world. It’s one of the most poignant moments of the experience and it’s something you’ll be telling people about for years.
This is the perception of flying that we want you to take home with you. There’s a lot more in the sky than stray particles and flying buses. Feel free to spread the word.
Thoughts from the chronically skydiving,